Shoe rack



July 29, 1958 ATKINSON 2,845,182

SHOE RACK Filed May 13, 1954 12V V EN TOR. TRUMAN L. ATKINSON AT RNEY United States Patent Ofiice SHOE RACK Truman L. Atkinson, Ludington, Mich.

Application May 13, 1954, Serial No. 429,442

Claims. (Cl. 211--37) This invention relates to and is concerned with a novel, simple, practical and very useful rack, primarily designed for holding shoes and upon which a plurality of pairs of shoes may be held and from which the shoes are very quickly and easily removed.

The rack structure which embodies my invention is of sturdy, and durable construction and is economical to produce.

An understanding of the invention may be had from the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing in which,

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the novel shoe rack made in accordance with my invention.

Fig. 2 is an end elevation, with a part thereof broken away and shown in section to illustrate the mounting of the immediate shoe carrying members.

Like reference characters refer to like parts in the different figures of the drawing.

In the structure, a frame is provided which includes two spaced apart inverted U-shaped end members, each having an upper horizontal section 1 from which a vertical leg 2 is bent to extend downwardly. At their lower ends the legs 2 may be supplied with rubber or rubberlike feet for resting upon the floor. The supporting frame of the rack is completed by an additional inverted U- shaped member having an upper horizontal rail 3 and at each end a downwardly bent and extended vertical post 4. At the lower ends of the posts 4 connection is made to the upper sections 1 of the previously described members at a point substantially midway between the ends of said sections 1 as shown.

At each side of the last described U-shaped member shoe holding members, preferably two, in number are mounted, extending outwardly therefrom in opposite directions. Each is made of a rod bent into U-shape having a horizontal connecting section 5, of a length substantially equal to the spaced distance of the posts 4, each part 5 at each end being bent inwardly at right angles in terminal sections 6. The members having sections 1 and 2 and 3 and 4 are of tubular stock. Each of the vertical posts 4 at each side has spaced apart openings therethrough. The inner ends of the legs 6 terminate in upwardly bent angularly disposed hooks 7 (Fig. 2) so that the U-shaped member consisting of the parts 5 and 6 may have hooks 7 inserted through the openings in the spaced posts 4; and upon turning to horizontal position, the hooks will engage with the inner sides of the posts 4, maintaining the U-shaped members 5-6 in horizontal position but permitting each to be tilted upwardly.

On each of the connecting sections 5 of the several described members, the immediate shoe holding members are permanently secured. Each is bent into a corrugated succession of U-shaped loops, alternate loops 8 normally extending vertically and the other connecting loops 9 between said alternate loops 8 normally extending downwardly and outwardly and having a permanent connection by'welding or otherwise to the rod sections 5. And the terminal end portions 10 of the rods likewise are welded or otherwise permanently secured to said sections 5.

Preferably, the several vertical loops 8 attached to the upper and lower rod sections 5 are of different sizes, the upper loops being greater in number and narrower. In a household, larger-shoes placedover the upwardly extending loops 8 on the lower members of the rack will be below smaller shoes placed over the upwardly extending loops 8 secured to the upper rod sections 5.

The rack described is of a very simple and yet particularly practical construction. It is light in weight and may be carried easily from one place to another. It is compact. To remove shoes from the lower rack members, the upper members may be tilted upwardly as shown at the right in Fig. 2. Economy in production, simplicity of structure, lightness of weight and strength and sturdiness provide a rack of exceptional utility.

The invention is defined in the appended claims and is to be considered comprehensive of all forms of structure coming within their scope.

I claim:

1. A rack comprising two spaced vertical tubular posts, each having openings in a side thereof, said openings being substantially vertically and horizontally aligned, U-shaped members located one over the other, each having a horizontal section and an end section at each end thereof, said end sections extending to and at free ends passing through said post openings, each end section at its free end having an upwardly extending hook within and engaging against the inner sides of the associated post to hold said member normally in substantially horizontal position, and spaced article holding members connected to and extending upwardly from each of said horizontal sections.

2. A rack comprising, two vertical tubular posts and an integral, tubular, horizontal connecting member between the upper ends of said posts, base supports secured one to the lower end of each post, each of said posts in a side thereof having a plurality of vertically spaced openings therethrough, said openings providing a plurality of spaced pairs of horizontal openings, a U-shaped member having a horizontal connecting section and a leg integral therewith at each of its ends, detachably connected with said post at each of said pairs of openings, the free ends of said legs having upwardly extending hooks, within the posts, engaging said posts interiorly and providing stops to normally hold said members in horizontal position, and spaced individual article holders secured to and extending upwardly from each of said horizontal connecting sections.

3. A rack having the elements in combination defined in claim 2, said article holders each comprising an inverted U-shaped member having integral spaced legs, the upper portions of which are substantially vertical, and the lower portions inclined downwardly and outwardly at an acute angle to the horizontal, permanently connected to said horizontal connecting sections of said U-shaped members.

4. A rack comprising two spaced vertical tubular posts, each having openings in a side thereof, said openings being substantially vertically and horizontally aligned, U-shaped members located one over the other each having a horizontal section and an end section at each end thereof, said end sections extending to and at their free ends passing through said post openings, each end section at its free end having an upwardly extending hook within and engaging against the inner sides of the associated post to hold said member normally in substantially horizontal position.

5. A rack comprising two spaced vertical tubular posts, each'having an opening in a side thereof, said openings being substantially horizontally aligned, a U-shaped mem- Patented July 29, 1958 3 belt havingqa horizontal section and an end section at each end thereof, said end sections extending to and at their free ends passing through said post openings, each end section at its free end being doubled back for forming, an upwardly extending hook within and engaging against opposite inner snrfaces of each of. the associated posts to-liold saidmernber in substantially horizontal position.

References Citedin the fileof this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS D. 165,942 Stein Feb. 12, 1952 Beneke May 3,

Greenspan Feb. 20,

Allen Apr. 17,

Winter Jan. 9,

FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain Mar. 28,

Great Britain Sept. 2, 

